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Hotwired · January 27, 2013

I donate plants and sell produce, or I should say I barter produce. A group of us setup gardens for low-income at-risk families. Most are container gardens, though we also build raised beds and tilled gardens. I'm growing about 500 tomato plants and 1000 pepper plants for distribution to nearly 300 families this year http://imageshack.us/a/img718/7821/005hck.jpg . Cornell is donating over 10,000 plants this year too.

I also have over 3500 strawberry plants that produce over 1000 pounds a year http://imageshack.us/a/img232/5947/sb12t.jpg . I sell blueberries, strawberries, and jams at the farmers market. I also trade for produce that I don't grow. This last season I traded for 300 pounds of blueberries, bushels of peaches, pears, apples, a dozen organic eggs a week, and two free range chickens a month. http://imageshack.us/a/img41/8537/160no.jpg . I also traded for potatoes and a half pig. I'm putting in 2000 more strawberry plants in raised beds this Spring, because I have a local farmer that wants to barter fruit for a half steer. I have 3 large freezers, a root cellar, and I'm also a canning fool, so my wheeling and dealing cuts our annual grocery bill by nearly 50%. Many people overlook the power of bartering, but this can work even on a small scale.

BTW... I take 40-gal tupperware tubs with covers and add potatoes, apples, pears, and root vegetables, separated by layers of sand. I have it in my 45-50F root cellar, and I keep stuff well into March. I made an apple pie on Thursday and the apples were firm and delicious. My friend use this method in an unheated attached garage and has great success.

Hotwired NY 5b
http://www.hotwiredgardens.com
http://www.facebook.com/hotwired.gardens

January 27, 2013	#4
Hotwired Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Ithaca, NY - USDA 5b Posts: 241	I donate plants and sell produce, or I should say I barter produce. A group of us setup gardens for low-income at-risk families. Most are container gardens, though we also build raised beds and tilled gardens. I'm growing about 500 tomato plants and 1000 pepper plants for distribution to nearly 300 families this year http://imageshack.us/a/img718/7821/005hck.jpg . Cornell is donating over 10,000 plants this year too. I also have over 3500 strawberry plants that produce over 1000 pounds a year http://imageshack.us/a/img232/5947/sb12t.jpg . I sell blueberries, strawberries, and jams at the farmers market. I also trade for produce that I don't grow. This last season I traded for 300 pounds of blueberries, bushels of peaches, pears, apples, a dozen organic eggs a week, and two free range chickens a month. http://imageshack.us/a/img41/8537/160no.jpg . I also traded for potatoes and a half pig. I'm putting in 2000 more strawberry plants in raised beds this Spring, because I have a local farmer that wants to barter fruit for a half steer. I have 3 large freezers, a root cellar, and I'm also a canning fool, so my wheeling and dealing cuts our annual grocery bill by nearly 50%. Many people overlook the power of bartering, but this can work even on a small scale. BTW... I take 40-gal tupperware tubs with covers and add potatoes, apples, pears, and root vegetables, separated by layers of sand. I have it in my 45-50F root cellar, and I keep stuff well into March. I made an apple pie on Thursday and the apples were firm and delicious. My friend use this method in an unheated attached garage and has great success. Hotwired NY 5b http://www.hotwiredgardens.com http://www.facebook.com/hotwired.gardens __________________ Give a man a fish and he eats for a day - Teach him to fish and he eats for a lifetime.